Sunday, May 29, 2005

Jeff Buckley – Everybody Here Wants You.

In early ’97 Jeff Buckley was struggling to write and record the follow-up to his 1994 debut, ‘Grace’, in the face of public anticipation and record company pressure. By this time he had already spent the best part of a year attempting to write songs but had come up against a lengthy period of writers block. He embarked on a series of low key solo slots in an attempt to recreate his Sin-e days and the songs began to come slowly. Recording sessions were set up with Television’s Tom Verlaine producing and a number of songs were recorded for an album provisionally titled ‘My Sweetheart the Drunk’. However, the sessions fell apart and the tracks were shelved.

After this, Buckley’s writers block lifted (he apparently had about 30 songs ready) and sessions were scheduled for 30th June with ‘Grace’ producer Andy Wallace.

On May 29th Buckley and a friend were lost in Memphis trying to find the rehearsal studio. They gave up the search and went down to hang out on the banks of the Mississippi. Buckley decided to go for a swim in the notoriously unpredictable river fully clothed including heavy boots; a decision which mitigates any description of him as a ‘genius’. His body was not found until 4th June.

‘Everybody Here Wants You’ was one of the tracks that came out of the sessions with Tom Verlaine. Previously to this Buckley had always shined brightest on cover versions (you can download a few of the rarer ones here) but this track is his most successful composition. It’s a song brimming with sexual tension. He also sounds more like his father, Tim Buckley, than ever before. Jeff was never comfortable with this comparison. As evidenced in an interview with Mark Radcliffe on BBC Radio 1:

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